Emma Sidnam is a Wellington-based writer and lawyer. As a fourth-generation Asian New Zealander, she is passionate about representation and ensuring that all voices are heard. She is an award-winning slam poet and her work has been published in the Spinoff, Capital, Newsroom and the anthologies A Clear Dawn and Middle Distance. In 2022, she was awarded the prestigious Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished manuscript. In 2023 she won the Auckland Surrey Residency for her second book, a collection of short stories. Her debut novel Backwaters comes out September 27th 2023.